We have been thinking about downsizing our turkey flock now for a while. We really only need one or two toms around to fertilize the girls. The boys tend to fight a lot with each other and a chorus of four gobblers can be a bit much when an airplane flies overhead for instance. (I imagine them thinking HOLY GOBBLE THAT’S A BIG GOBBLE HAWK GOBBLE GOOBLE.)
These guys are so funny and follow us everywhere
Then we had the mama come out of the jungle with 13!! babies and we knew for sure. We could harvest them for food but it’s pretty time intensive and difficult since we don’t have an operational full-sized fridge. So I listed them on a Facebook sale page as well as Clasificadosonline. Within a week we had sold 2 adult females (hembras), a male (macho) and 3 babies (pavitos) with 3 others sold on hold. Even with keeping some for ourselves, we still had more to sell though! So a friend reminded us of the San Sebastian flea market AKA Pulguero which is especially known for all the plants and animals.
When we visited the San Sebastian Pulguero years ago. Not much different today!
This market is one of the largest on the west side of the island and is open from late Thursday until late Friday (like midnight late from what I understand). It hasn’t changed much since we visited it when we were here on vacation years ago. But it is sort of funny how we have changed from the customer looky-loo that we were to being the supplier. I think of it almost like when we visited we were viewers of the movie that is Puerto Rico and now we are players/actors in the show.
Getting everyone loaded up for their first drive!
Anyhow…we weren’t sure what to expect since we don’t have the permisos to be vendors there. But our friend assured us that if we just sold them out of our truck we’d be fine. He even lent us some cages for the birds. So Friday morning we loaded up a pareja (pair) as well as 5 pavitos. We really don’t need to sell any more females, but some people want to buy them together to start their own little flock so she came along as the other side of the pair.
When we arrived at the Pulguero we weren’t sure what to do. So I asked Britton if he’d rather stay with the birds and the truck or do the walk through and see what we could find out. He said he’d stay. I walked through the whole winding path and saw many interesting things. Then I saw a guy who was selling turkeys and thought maybe we could sell wholesale to him. We talked for a while (in Spanish) and he said he didn’t have space for the adults, but I got the feeling I could talk him into buying the pavitos. By the time I returned back to the truck to tell Britton, he was gone. And so was one of our big boys!
I waited for a while and when he returned he said he sold our macho only about 5 minutes after I left -in his broken Spanish no less! ¡Buen trabajo! And that it was a good thing he did because the security guard came up shortly thereafter and said that people are only allowed to sell out of their vehicles in the parking lot until about 10am and it was by then about 1pm. Well, we still had our hembra and the 5 pavitos. Should we just go back home? I told Britton about the man with the turkey stall and so we decided to take the pavitos to him…hey we’re not selling them in the parking lot right?! 😉
Britton carrying the pavitos through the pulguero
We got to the guy and he kept regateando to the point that we just went across to another bird stall where an old-school guy thumped the cage to make sure they all could stand and then bought them right then and there! Not too bad for our first pulguero! And little pava got to ride back with us and join her friends.
On our way home we were hungry and stopped at this place that I thought was sort of charming and funny. Stuffed hamburgers and coffee….hmm interesting combination.
The House of the Stuffed Hamburger
I’m so glad we did. They made super good, inexpensive coffee and Britton was really happy with his hand stuffed hamburger. Hamburgers are one of his favorite foods, but we try to avoid any corporate crap fast food and we want to support local businesses that truly invest in and with Puerto Rico. So this was a great find and cost less than a chain anyway! We talked with the owner a bit and he said he is thinking of opening a shop in Rincón because business is better there. Please do!
Yummy latte
Hey, are you calling me a pig? A piggy ketchup design with burger and plantain fries and a delicious fresh goumet salad!
A fun productive day out and about in San Sebastian!
That sounded like a great day and the food looks amazing
How wonderful that you got to sell your turkeys! You salad looks very yummy. We need to check out this flea market next Feb./March.
GREAT FOR YOU!
And AMAZING how you decided to support the local economy. If most Puerto Ricans thought like you.
Besides, regarding what your´re harvesting that was my point in another comment. Ok, you do have a finca. However, most people (unless they live in the Metropolitan are in apartments) can either harvest their own fruits/salads or even simpler just use what they already have (most places already have fruit trees).
If people were more into agriculture (that doesn´t need that much effort in PR) they´d get at least enough to help their economy and live healthy.
Thanks guys! Yes it was a great find. Nice to know of a local outlet when we have too many roosters or toms and also a great place to find unique animals and plants and random things. Lester, you hit the nail on the head! We need to think locally in order to change globally. It starts right here. Grow your own or support those who do. Become less dependent on those outside interests whose main goal is just to profit from Puerto Rico but have no real love or care for the island and its future.
Food is the easiest place to start. It is all around us and we have to eat every single day!
Every time I get I talk to my family about you. I do feel proud for how you established a goal, committed to it and so far, even though still things to do, you´ve reached it.
I love how much you love Puerto Rico.
In my eyes you´re Puerto Rican already. The way you talk, the efforts you make, how you´ve made friends, how you go to festivales/fiestas patronales to enjoy the country and yourself and how you´ve said that you want to support the local economy…
Said before keep on saying it…Most Puerto Ricans should learn from you.
PS
Aside from investing into your own plants/animals there´s also the fact (that you´ve experienced too) of sharing with people what you have plenty of and get something different in return. When you reach that point people could basically just leave out of trading.
You haven´t experienced a hurricane yet (more difficult living in the West; I lived in Humacao so there was no way to avoid them) but there´s a beautiful thing that comes from it: people share and care. They help you out protecting your house and after PLUS since food will spoil anyways everyone cooks all they have, keep something for themselves and sharing the rest.
Hey Cassie and Britton,
Great find in the Pulguero in San Sebastian. Where exactly is it? and when is it? We usually go to the one in Aguadlla on Saturdays and the one in Mayaguez on Sundays.
Also where is that Hamburger place? Not for the hamburger m but for that amazing looking salad..Made my mouth water. I just love salad and can’t seem to find a place that has a good one.
Also your farm is amazing. Good luck with your new home.
Tonie
Both are right off the 111. The pulgero is very easy to spot and is on the South side of the road. The hamburger place is on the north side and is a little west of the pulgero.
Hope that helps!